Breech mechanism of ordnance.



A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUGKHAM. BREBGH MEGHANISM oF ORDNANGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1913.

' 1,080,268. Patented De... 2, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. 2 I rr n IQI i Y I' A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM. BREEGH MBGHANISM 0F ORDNANGB.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY13, 1913.

Patented Dec.2,1913.

A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM. BREEGH MEGHANISM 0F ORDNANGE.-

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1913.

Patented D60. 2, 1913.

ToaZZ 'whom t may concern 'Dawsorn knight, 'BUCKHAM, both subjects of the'King of Broadway,

'llpOIl 'an Y UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON lANI) GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM, OF WESMINSTER, LON- DON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS T0 VICKERS LIMITED, 0F WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

" BREECHMECHANISM oFonnNANcE.

Beit known thatwe, ARTHUR Tnnvon and Grnonen THOMAS at Vickers House, Westminster, in the county of London, En land, have invented certain new` and use ul Improvements in or Relating to the Breech Mechanism of Ordnance, ufl-which the following is a specification.

AThis invention relates to breech mecha-- nism of the kind in which the breech block is composed of two portions of which the rear or-wedge portion is adapted, during the unlocking of the mechanism, to slide on the rear ace'of the forward portion whereupon both portions are swung outwardly to uncover the breech opening.

According vto this inventionv we so construct and arrange the parts of br'eech mechanism of the above stated kind that the said mechanism can be employed withguns using ammunition in which the projectile isseparate from the powder' charge as distinct from those using fixed ammunition, for which purpose the front' portion of the breech block is provided with an obturator (preferably of the de Bange type) mounted axial vent and the rear portion is Jfurnished with suitable' firing mechanism.

Great' Britain, residing l This. firing mechanism iscarried by a lock frame which is so arranged in relation to the lrear portion of the breech block that relative movement withincertain limits can take lace between them during the initial unlocking and the .final locking action of the breech mechanism. v'This relativemovement is utilized lto retract the iiring needle and to permit it to move into contact with the head of theprimer.

In order that our said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into eect the same will be described more Jully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal sections of the breech end of a gun provided lwith breech mechanism constructed in accordance with our invention, Fi 1 showing the lock frame in section with t e mechanism inthe locked condition, and Fig. 2 showing the lock frame in elevation with the mechanism in the open condition. Fig. 3 is a rear view, of which'the left half isa section taken approximately on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1, and

lSpecicaticn of Letters Patent.

the right half is a rear elevation of. Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on the` .line 2-2 of Fig. 1 (with the firing needle removed), and Fig. 5 is an enlarged view-of a part of Fig. 1.

'A is thebreech end of they gun.

B is the rear or'wedge portion and B the front portion of the breech block.

' B2 is the obturator and B2 the axial vent.

C is the lock frame.

.In the example shown the axial vent passes 4through the front portionB of the block and at its rear end is screw threadedto-l engage with a nut which serves the double purpose of a box slide and of the usual retaining nut for the aXial vent. The Vrear portion of the nut b is adapted to receive the lock frame C which ,during the locking and unlocking movements of the jecting part b2 of the nut. Thislo'ck frame has anextension c disposed in a recess b manner that a small amount of relative movement can take place between the eX- tensionc and the block during the initial unlocking and the final locking movements of the mechanism (see Figs. 1 and 5). This relative movement is as aforesaid utilized -during the unlocking of the mechanism to retract the firing needle D from the head of the primer, and during the locking of the mechanism is utilized to permit the said needle to return to its firing position. For this purpose the lock Vframe C is under the control of a spring C which tends to maintainthe extension c in contact with the wall b* of therecess b, as shown in Fig. 2. The lock'l framecarries a retracting device pref- -erably in the form of a bell crank lever D as shown, one arm of which (viz. d) is adapted toengage withV a collar .on the needle D and the other arm (viz; cl) with the aforesaid wall of the rear portion B of the breech block. The arm d is formed with a projection dx recess in the nut b as and 5.

When the mechanism is in the locked position (Figs. 1 and 5) the lock frame C is held against a stop and is thereby retained in contact with the lower wall of the aforesaid recess Y) as shown inAFigs. 1 and 5. At the same time the bell crank lever D is held in the position shown by the spring of the {irshown in Figs. l

mechanism is guided on a downwardly pro-v inthe rear portion B of the block in such adapted to engage in a` ,PatentedDem 2, 1913. Application-illedflay13,'19l13. f. Ser-iai. No. 767,265.

ing needle D, with the arm d in contact with the upper wall bx of the recess and the projection d* in engagement with its recess in the nut When thebreech mechanism is commencing its unlocking movement, the rear portion B of the block starts to slide on the front portion B but the lock frame C, by the engagement of the projection d* on the bell crank lever D with the recess in the nut b', remainsstationary. The bell crank lever is thereby rocked about its pivot by the engagement of the wall al* wlth the arm al) to disengage its projection dx from the nut vand needle D. The said needle is held in this position during the continued sliding movement of the rear portion B of the breech block by the engagement of the projection d* with the surface of the extension b2 of the nut b. When the nal locking movement takes place the operations are reversed until, when the mechanism has nearly reached its fully locked position, the lock frame C is moved downward relatively to the rear portion B ofthe breech block by the engagement of the said frame with the aforesaid stop. The projection dx of the bell crank lever D is then opposite its recess in thenut and the bell crank lever D can be displaced by the spring of the needle D to enable the latter to come into contact with the head of the primer. During the unlocking of the mechanism cam surfaces on the lock frame C coperate with a toe piece E of an extractor E and cause the latter first to extract and then rapidly eject the used primer as has been previously proposed by us. A spring controlled primer retaining catch E is provided as is well understood. The mechanism is shown as being actuated in the usual way by the engagement of a cam slot F in an arm F on the axis pin F2, with a pin Bx -on the rear portion B of the block.

The firing mechanism may be either electrical or percussive, or may be a combina-tion of both. In the example shown, the firing mechanism is electrical, and the rear portion B of the breech block is provided with two spring controlled contacts d2, als (Fig. 3) in electrical connection with each other, one (viz; d2) bearing against a nut on the firing needle D and the other (viz; als) against a fixed contact d4 on the gun.

retract the What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. In breech mechanism for ordnance, the combination with a breech block composed of twov parts, the rear or wedge part being capable during the locking and unlocking of themechanism of sliding on the rear face of the forward part, of an obturator carried by said front part, a lock frame carried by the rear part', firing mechanism mounted in said lock frame, and means for causing relative movement to take place between said rear part and the lock frame during the initial unlocking and the final locking action of the breech mechanism.

2.. In breech mechanism for ordnance, the combination with a' breech block composed of two parts, capable during the locking and unlocking of the mechanism of sliding on the rear face of the forward part, of an obturator carried by said front part, a lock frame loosely carried by the rear part, tiring mechanism mounted in said lock frame, and means for causing relative movement to take place between said rear part and the lock frame during the initial unlocking and the nal locking action of the breech mechanism.

3. In breech mechanism for ordnance, the combination with a breech block composed of two parts, the rear or wedge part being capable during the locking and unlocking of the mechanism of sliding on the rear face "of the forward part, of an obturater carried by said front part, a lock frame loosely carried by the rear part, iii-ing mechanism mounted in said lock frame, means for causing relative movement to take place between said rear part and the lock frame during the initial unlocking and the nal locking action of the breech mechanism, a firing needle forming part of said firing mechanism, and means whereby said relative movement effects the retraction of the firingneedle and permits it to move into contact with the head of the primer.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. A GEORGE-THOMAS BUCKI-IAM.

Witnesses:

HENRY KING, JN0. R. CAswELL.

the rear or wedge part being 

